


In Love With A Monster

by DragonRose35



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, F/F, Female Slash, Fluff, Interracial Relationship, Interspecies Relationship, M/M, Male Slash, Mute Link, breath of the wild AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-12
Packaged: 2018-11-12 04:38:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11154402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonRose35/pseuds/DragonRose35
Summary: In a world where almost nothing is the same, Zora have gone extinct and Kass has told a story of a monster in Lake Hylia. But in pursuing this 'monster', Link gets far more than he bargains for- including a past he had forgotten everything about.





	1. New Discoveries

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Okay, so this is a little different from my other stories in general. This being that it will be a chapter fic. But also that it will have far more plot than anything else I've ever written~ *laughs*
> 
> Now, I can't guarantee that updates will be consistant or lengthy but... *smiles sheepishly* I'm actually excited to write this for once and hopefully I can do that, you know?
> 
> I plan on updating tags and stuff as I post each update for the story, so don't worry. The tags aren't final~
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy as I write it~
> 
> ~ D.C.

Zelda had a summer home, on Hylia Island- it was rather large, but you wouldn’t expect anything less, knowing her father was the King of Hyrule. It was placed above the shrine, built upon a large wooden and stone platform that left ample room to access said shrine. Zelda spent almost all the time she could here, exploring the wilderness on the islands of Hylia, and on the shore that surrounded Lake Hylia itself.

And as she spent most of her time here, so did Link, as it was his duty to protect her from any dangers, should they come across them.

Link had taken out enough Lizalfos around the islands to know the extent of this for sure.

“Link! Oh  _ Link _ ! You’ll never believe what I found~” Zelda called out to him, running up from the island beach and Link peered down at her from his perch on the summer house’s roof.

He smiled at her, thinking it was probably just a shell belonging to some rare snail or something- Zelda was like that. Always excited about the littlest bit of science or even history. As it turned out, though, it was… not a snail shell.

She slowed to a halt, presenting what she had found in her hands and his eyes widened a little when he saw what it was- a beautifully crafted silver trinket with a scratched sapphire gem at the tip like a charm, as well as at the very top. There was an odd little bit to it, with fluff, that Link could see and the warrior had to wonder if there were perhaps feathers or fur at the end of it once.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it~?” Zelda asked and Link slid down from his perch, landing gracefully onto the ground in front of her. “I found it on the beach and the poor thing looks like it’s had some wear and tear, but… with a little care, I’m sure I could fix it right up!”

Link heard every word, but he couldn’t properly respond. It looked…  _ familiar _ somehow, but Link had never actually  _ seen _ it before.  _ ‘What is it?’ _ he asked, signing the words with his hands- as Zelda had taught him to do from an old book they learned from together. No one else seemed to understand the signs, but that didn’t matter to them.

“I’m not sure,” she answered, shaking her head. “It’s old, probably a few centuries. The craftsmanship is extraordinary, though… for this to have survived so long.” she marveled at the trinket and Link hesitated, before reaching his hands out, silently asking if he could see it. With a smile, she nodded and handed it over. “I’m going to see if I have any books that can help us!” she said, rushing off into the house, probably towards her study.

Staying where he stood, the knight delicately turned the trinket over in his hands. It  _ was _ beautiful there was no denying that, but Link wondered what it might have looked like when it truly  _ shined _ . The jewels must have sparkled- in the sun or the moonlight- and the feathers or fur must have looked  _ regal _ when they were there. Feathers- Link decided. They must have been feathers.

“Link~!” Zelda called back to him, startling him from his thoughts, and he turned his head to find her rushing back towards him with a book in her hands. “Look! It’s the same type of jewelry here,” she said, showing him the images on the page she was reading. And it was true- it was the same type.

_ ‘What are they?’ _ he asked her and she grinned.

“Jewelry and crafts made by Zora.” she answered and Link frowned.

_ ‘The… race that has gone…’ _ he paused here, not knowing how to sign that word, but Zelda understood him anyway.

“The very same. It’s fascinating, isn’t it? That we would see something of their culture even after centuries of their extinction.” She sighed softly and shook her head before looking down at the book with a rather sad expression. “It’s…  _ awful _ what happened to all of them…”

Link’s ears drooped a little,  _ ‘Zelda…’ _ he signed, using their own sign they created for their names,  _ ‘what did happen to them?’ _

“No one is sure,” she sighed again, leaning back against a rock, fingering the pages of the book in her hands. “All that is recorded is that there was a terrible darkness that swept through the Zora’s Domain and desolated…  _ everything _ . Every Zora and every creature within the lands… just…  _ gone _ .”

_ ‘Why only them?’ _

Zelda shrugged though, “Scholars think that the darkness was stopped, long ago, before it could reach the rest of Hyrule. No one can confirm this though.”

Letting his head fall, Link stared at the trinket with sadness in his gaze and he sighed softly, turning his head to look back out at the lake. It was then that he noticed the sun was going down, so he turned back to Zelda, resting his hand on the book, to catch her attention.  _ ‘We should lay down to sleep. Your father wants you back in the morning.’ _

Though she made a face at his words, she nodded, “You’re right, of course.” she said, running a hand through her hair. “Alright. Come along then. Sleep awaits us~” she said with a silly little smile and Link, despite everything, smiled back.

-0-

That night, Link couldn’t sleep, plagued by thoughts of the extinction of the Zora people. So he climbed from his bed and left the house, making his way to the island shore, with the trinket clutched tightly in his hand.

If the trinket belonged to the Zora… why was it all the way out here? It couldn’t possibly have been simply washed up after so many years, could it? Or was there a  _ reason _ it ended up in Lake Hylia?

He wished he could shout. He wished he could call out. Wished he could…  _ do something _ .

But all he could do was sit there and stare out at the lake, watching as the water glistened with the moon.

He stayed up for hours, watching the lake, and when he finally turned to go back inside, something caught his attention- a furious splash. He whipped around, catching the tiniest glimpse of  _ something _ in the water- too large to be a fish- but when it didn’t show again, he resigned himself to finally trying to catch sleep.


	2. The Monster of Lake Hylia (Part One)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here is the next update~! I hope you guys like it so far~!
> 
> ~ D.C.

“Kass once told me of a story of a monster in Lake Hylia~” Zelda said, one day, as she and Link tossed small flat rocks into the water, watching them skip along the lake surface.

_ ‘A… creature?’ _ Link asked, hesitating with the sign and Zelda giggled, shaking her head before nodding and shrugging.

“I don’t really believe him, but anything is possible,” she hummed, looking up at the sky. “Just like it’s possible to catch glimpses of the dragon gods at certain times during the night, you know?” Link nodded at this, but didn’t bother to comment back- Zelda had never actually  _ seen _ the dragons herself, but she knows Link has. He’d seen Farosh, had gotten Zelda a single scale from Naydra, and had been burned by the fire from Dinraal more times than he could count. “Do you think Lake Hylia has a monster~?”

Link frowned, contemplating the question- he should have just said no, but then he remembered that night they found the trinket, the one he kept in his bag at all times now.  _ ‘I don’t know,’ _ he said instead and she tilted her head at him, curious.

“I guess there is only one way to find out~” she said with a cheeky grin, and Link stared at her like she was insane. “Come on!” Zelda laughed, running back to the house, likely to get her swimsuit and Link looked skyward, letting out a breathless chuckle at his best friend’s antics.

-0-

It wasn’t the first time they went swimming together, but it was the first time in Lake Hylia. Zelda had quickly gotten bored of finding only fish in Lake Hylia-  _ ‘What else did you expect to find?’ _ Link had teased her- and soon suggested a game of water tag.

She declared herself ‘it’ and proceeded to chase after Link. They laughed breathlessly as they swam, chasing after each other and swimming away when one got too close.

Link wasn’t prepared for the sudden dizziness to hit him-

_ “Ha! You’re getting pretty good, little one~ Soon, one day, you might even be able to catch up to me!” _

-and he choked on the water, before regaining his bearings, as Zelda caught up with him. “L-Link!?” she stuttered on his name, holding him in the water. “Are you okay?! What  _ happened _ !?” she asked, worry and concern coloring her voice.

Link only shook his head, not knowing what had happened, and though Zelda frowned, she dropped her questioning and only helped him swim back towards the island shore.

“Maybe we should call it a day…” she told him, her voice soft and Link sighed softly, only nodding his head in answer.

-0-

That night when he saw something in the water, Link didn’t hesitate to investigate it. Maybe it was nothing more than a big fish, but maybe… just  _ maybe _ , there was some truth to Kass’ words. There usually was, if Link was honest, for Kass’ tales always led to treasure or the discovery of a new shrine to show Zelda.

But…  _ this _ …?

What could possibly be in the lake?

Stripping from his clothing, Link left himself in only his shorts, before he stepped into the lake, wary but not so much that it would hinder his movement. When he was far enough from the shore, he began swimming out, despite the fear of the dark waters and what could possibly be hiding in them.

Give him Hinox’s and he could handle those… but sea monsters? Those might be a different story, entirely.

Shivering slightly at the feeling of the water around him, but swam on, knowing that he  _ had _ to do this. Something was  _ out _ there and if he didn’t find it…

Link swallowed hard, slowing to a halt in the water, wading slowly, keeping himself afloat as best he could as he looked around.  _ I know you are out here… please show yourself. Let me know I am not going crazy… _ he pleaded in his head.

For several long moments, nothing happened, to the knight’s disappointment and Link let his eyes fall closed as he deflated a little in defeat. But then he felt movement in the water and he perked up, though half was in fear. That fear proved useful though as he found himself being stalked by a Lizalfos and he cried out as he dodged out of the way of its attack. He was defenseless in the water so he began swimming back to the shore, where he could grab his weapon- his beloved blade, the Master Sword.

He was hindered by the Lizalfos chasing him from the direction of the island and Link trembled as he was beginning to feel exhausted, trying to swim away from the Lizalfos.

_ Goddess above… please help me…! _ He pleaded, wishing now, more than ever, that he had a voice, so he could alert Zelda somehow.

Just as he thought he couldn’t hold himself up any longer, there was splashing behind him- as well as a screech from the Lizalfos and a low hissing growl from something else. Turning around proved fruitless as he couldn’t see anything anymore, not even the Lizalfos, but he could see  _ blood _ , and that more than anything else, terrified him.

But when nothing chased after him, Link chose that moment to use the last of his strength to make it back to the shore.

Panting heavily, he turned over on his back, crystal blue eyes wide as he looked back at the lake, the surface still save for the last ripples from his own frantic swimming. Closing his eyes tightly, he managed to get his breathing under control and he opened his eyes back up to look back just in time to see the dark silhouette of  _ something _ out there and this time… this time he  _ smiled _ .

_ Thank you for saving me _ …

-0-

“Why are you so keen on going back to the islands, so soon?” Zelda asked him with a frown, making her way to one of her bookshelves in her study. “We only just came back.” she added, reminding him and Link made a frustrated noise.

_ ‘I know.’ _

“So… why do you want to go back?” Zelda asked again, prodding for information and Link made a face, contemplating how to respond.

_ ‘I… saw… something.’ _ he told her and her eyes lit up.

“A sea monster?” she asked him, and Link knew then that even if she didn’t believe Kass of his story, she  _ wanted _ to. She wanted the sea monster to be real.

_ ‘I don’t know,’ _ Link said, shaking his head and he sighed softly, thinking back to that night.  _ ‘But whatever it was. It saved my life.’ _

Zelda was quiet for several moments before she smiled and nodded her head, “Well, I’m sure Father will let you go without my company every once in awhile. After all, even  _ you _ deserve a break from me~” she said with a cheeky grin and Link laughed quietly, shaking his head, his eyes glittering.

_ ‘Thank you.’ _ he said and her grin became a warm smile as she walked over to him and hugged him.

“You’re welcome, Link~”


	3. The Burden of Memories Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just a few ideas I had on what adventures Link and Sidon got up to a long time ago. But don't worry, there are certainly more where that came from, and I'll go into detail with a few of them! *grins*
> 
> Enjoy~
> 
> ~ D.C.

Link went back to the lake as often as he could, with or without Zelda, but never had the chance to see anything more- and never braved the water again for fear of being caught defenseless once more.

-0-

“You seem quite enraptured with our oasis, Link,” Urbosa chuckled, speaking to him in that deep tone of voice of hers. The knight shook from his thoughts, turning to look at the Gerudo chief, and he flushed a little, realizing he had been so deep in thought he hadn’t heard her come up to him. “What has captured your attention tonight?”

Wishing he could tell her of its familiarity, Link only shrugged as he turned to look back at the oasis in the distance. By all rights, he shouldn't have been there, but instead Zelda had found a way to sneak him into the desert city- disguising him as a vai himself. He certainly looked feminine enough that he fit with the outfit. Urbosa had said so herself.

“I see…” Urbosa sighed softly, shaking her head as she walked to stand beside him. “It’s of your lost memories, isn’t it?” she asked and Link paused, frowning to himself.

In truth, he wasn’t sure.

All he new was that since swimming in the lake- and trying to find the lake monster- things have been… _different_. Places became more familiar than they should have a right to be. And even now, staring at the oasis- a place he had never been before- he felt that familiarity stirring.

“You have never been here, dear Link. I’m afraid that is the truth,” she said with a soft sigh and Link deflated a little. “But perhaps there is a place similar that strikes familiarity in you by seeing our oasis.” It wasn’t a question, but a fact- like Urbosa knew something he didn’t.

But then… that didn’t surprise him anymore.

“Come, Zelda wishes for us both to join her for dinner,” Urbosa said with a smile, guiding link back inside with a hand on his back and he relished in the small touch of comfort.

-0-

The next Zelda and Link stayed at the summer house on the lake, Link spent the first several nights sitting on the roof.

On the third night, he was blessed with Farosh’s appearance and he smiled at the lightning god. _When you dive under the water… do you ever see anything?_ Link thought, sighing softly as he watched Farosh fly gracefully through the air, before diving under the water and coming back up just before flying over the roof of the house. His wet scales dripping water over the roof as if it was raining and Link tipped his head back, his eyes closed, as he basked in the feeling-

_“When the dragon god flies over our heads, I want you to close your eyes, my pearl. Feel the water as it cascades down upon you, like rain. It’s… wonderful, isn’t it?”_

_The feeling of the water was soon washed away by a sweet, gentle kiss to his lips._

-Link shuddered, blinking his eyes open, only to find himself suddenly alone on the rooftop, with Farosh nowhere to be seen. And he realized he’d dozed off, sometime in the night, when Farosh had passed over him.

Sighing softly, Link looked back up at the sky, remembering that voice in his dreams- or was it another memory? He could never tell which was which when he was asleep, not anymore.

-0-

He and Zelda were riding across the bridge over Lake Hylia, on their horses- Guardian, Zelda’s horse, and Prince, Link’s horse- after dealing with a problem at the Lurelin Village. The memories were more frequent, as time passed and Link wasn’t sure why- and was at the point where he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

_He was crossing another bridge, on another horse- a beautiful brown and cream one- but he was alone this time._

_All he had with him was the feeling of warmth and the single word in his head-_ home _._

“Are you alright, Link?” Zelda asked, breaking him from his thoughts and Link’s smile in return was but a grimace- a sad little thing. “You’ve been… acting strangely, lately. What’s wrong?”

 _‘I don’t know the words…’_ Link told her, as much a deflection as it was the truth.

Luckily Zelda understood, as she always did, and she quickly changed the subject, “You and Prince seem to be getting along well enough. It’s almost as if you’ve ridden a horse before.” she said with a cheerful smile, frowning when Link ducked his head- recalling the memories with the brown and cream horse.

 _‘He’s wonderful…’_ is all Link said in return.

-0-

 _“You absolutely_ must _be more careful in the future. That Lizalfos could have injured you far worse than a minor scratch on your arm. What if it had any sort of weapon?”_

I’m fine… _Link thought with a roll of his eyes._ It’s just a scratch, like you said.

_“Don’t roll your eyes at me, little Hylian. Promise me you’ll be more careful in the future…”_

_The voice… sounded so_ sad _, that Link nodded, giving the other his promise of this. Despite knowing he couldn’t keep it._

-0-

_“You’re so beautiful… my pearl. I wish we could stay like this all the time. But I know you have other duties. The world needs you, after all…”_

_Link smiled sadly at this, turning to look at his companion- but all he could see was darkness._ I will always be here, with you… if not in person then in heart.

_“I love you, Link.”_

...I love you too.


	4. The Monster of Lake Hylia (Part Two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, so... currently this is all that I have left written for this. I'm not quite sure what to type next, but I'll get there I swear~ *chuckles*
> 
> Anyway, I'll just leave you guys with this... all this angst and shit~ *smiles sheepishly* I'm sorry, but at the same time not~
> 
> ~D.C.

Link stared at the trinket with frustration, gripping it tightly and he blew out a sharp breath. Ever since Zelda had found this stupid thing, he had been having more dizzy spells and  _ dreams _ . There was no way any of them could be  _ memories _ , like Urbosa suggested they were.

So many… and they  _ hurt _ .

He wanted to scream. Wanted to grip his hair and curl up into a tight little ball and disappear from the world forever.

It has been eighteen moons since Zelda had found him. Eighteen moons of not knowing who he had been before she found him… and of rediscovering the world.

All he had to his name was his sword and the clothes on his back- though, now that he thought about it, even the clothes were a mystery. As Zelda had once told him she had found him awash on the shore of Lake Hylia- ironic, really- and the clothes he’d woken up with were dry and perfectly mended.

He had so many questions and no  _ answers _ .

_ Who am I? _

_ What happened? _

_ Why can’t I remember…? _

“I-it can’t be… M-my  _ pearl _ ...”

Link was jolted from his thoughts with that voice-  _ It sounds so… familiar… _ \- and he looked up with wide eyes, but he couldn’t see anything in the darkness.

Link stood up quickly when he saw a dark silhouette in the water and reached out for it, the word on the tip of his tongue but he  _ couldn’t speak _ .

_ Wait…! _

Clenching his fists tightly, one around the trinket, Link made a choked noise of frustration, letting the tears finally fall, everything overwhelming him despite that it  _ shouldn’t _ be.

_ Goddess above… why do you hate me…? _

-0-

“I can help you fix that little trinket of yours, little Hylian,” Urbosa told him one night, when Zelda was already fast asleep in the Gerudo’s bed, waiting for her beloved to join her.

Link frowned, looking down at the trinket in question before sighing and he shook his head, his heart clenching at the sight of it. He didn’t even know why he still kept it with him. It only brought pain to him. Closing his eyes tightly, Link held the trinket out for Urbosa to take, much to her surprise, and when she took it in her hands, she watched helplessly as the young knight left from the balcony to his own room, without even glancing back.

Her heart ached for him and as she looked down at the trinket, she was determined to do all she could to try and fix this seemingly broken boy.

“Oh Link…” she sighed softly, holding the trinket to her chest. “I’m so  _ sorry _ …”

-0-

It was raining one night when Link rested on the shore of the Hylia Island, a hooded cape over his head to keep his hair from getting wet. He was lost in thought again- as he always was. It had been several weeks since he’d given Urbosa the trinket, and he regretted it. But he didn’t want to ask for it back, knowing that was admitting he had a  _ need _ for all of this. The feeling that he would get sometimes when staring at the oasis or when crossing the bridge over Lake Hylia or when seeing one of the three dragon gods. The feeling of  _ loss _ that he  _ desperately _ wanted to change… because  _ yes _ he wanted his memories  _ back _ .

Who wouldn’t?

When they were almost always filled with such…  _ love _ … even if that love came from someone you didn’t remember.

He was tossing rocks absent mindedly into the lake, but when that thought crossed through his mind and he grabbed a rather large rock, before throwing it harshly far out into the waters. He heard the splash, but thought nothing of it, until he heard another splash.

“Hey! You nearly hit me with that one!” the voice called out, sounding a cross between jovial and annoyed. A strange mixture but it somehow…  _ fit _ .

Link jerked his head up, eyes wide, and they widened further when he caught sight of the creature- darkened by the night but still oh so clear in the moonlight. It looked… fish-like, certainly, but also  _ human _ . Except for the fact that he had a tail on his head and his  _ eyes _ …

_ He’s beautiful… _ Link thought, a little embarrassed for having thought it.

“Well, you don’t have to apologize…” the creature huffed, swimming closer, now  _ definitely _ annoyed, because he’s right. Link hasn’t apologized for almost hitting him with the rock. Except… he also  _ couldn’t _ , and Link’s frustration was beginning to show again as he opened his mouth, wanting so desperately to speak.

_ I… I… _

Letting his head fall, Link broke and he shook his head furiously as silent tears crawled down his cheeks, mixing with the soft rain water as it sprinkled over their heads. “H-hey now…! I-I hadn’t meant to sound so harsh…! You didn’t  _ actually _ hit me with that rock…! You don’t have to cry!” the creature sounded desperate,  _ panicked _ , but Link couldn’t figure out how to appease him. “I’m  _ sorry _ .”

His breath hitched at the words, and in his addled mind he finally figured something out.

_ His voice… I-I know his voice… _

Looking back up at the creature, Link raised a shaky hand to wipe away his tears and he realized the creature had gotten so much closer. When amber eyes met sapphire pools, they both widened and the creature froze.

“I… I thought I was seeing things…” he whispered, his voice choked up now and Link tensed up a little. “Wh-when I saw you here that last moon. B-but you’re really here. T-truly…?” Link watched him, silently and the creature swam a little closer. “Please, little Hylian, remove your hood. I… I  _ need _ to see you.”

Though Link hesitated, he complied, knowing only that he couldn’t refuse a request from this alluring creature.

Reaching his hands up, Link, pulled back the hood, letting it fall behind his head and he shivered a little as the rain sprinkled over his hair, wetting it with each droplet that fell from the heavens. “By the Goddess…” the creature’s voice sounded so  _ broken _ , and it  _ hurt _ Link to hear it. “Y-you…” a clawed hand raised from the water, reaching out for him, but hesitating a moment, “y-you really are him… m-my pearl… m-my… Y-you’re my  _ Link _ .”

The creature knowing his name was what confirmed everything he thought.

Link’s eyes closed tightly, just before that hand touched him, but it never came. Only the creature’s voice, and if Link had thought it sounded horrible before… it was positively  _ heart-breaking _ now. “You… you don’t remember me…” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

Trembling, Link covered his face with his hands, the tears falling once more.  _ I’m sorry… I’m so  _ sorry _ … I don’t remember anything… _

“A-are you even truly  _ my _ Link?” the creature asked and it was a question that shattered the poor Hylian’s heart.

This was the creature from so many of his memories… this was the creature that gave him the feeling of  _ love _ and  _ hope _ and  _ home _ . Link had no doubt about any of that. But was he… was  _ he _ the creature’s love and hope and home anymore?

Link stayed, broken on the shore of the island, as the creature fled back into the waters.

-0-

“...Link?” Zelda’s voice was soft as she called into the room. Link had returned from the lake only just that morn and had hidden himself away in his room at the castle. It worried her.

Link barely twitched, as he sat on the bed, staring at the book open in front of him. On the page was a picture of a Zora.  _ ‘I found him…’ _ he said to her, his hands shaky as he signed the words.

Walking closer to his bed, Zelda eyed the book with wide eyes. “The… the lake monster?” she asked and Link hesitated before shaking his head.

_ ‘He’s not a… not  _ that _. He’s… my past.’ _

Zelda’s heart broke at the words and the sight Link made and even though she didn’t truly understand, she sat on the bed beside Link, closed the book gently, and gathered him in her arms, holding him tight and giving him all the comfort in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N 2: Again, I hope you enjoyed it~ Let me know your thoughts! And I would definitely love to know what you guys think will happen~ *grins cheekily*
> 
> I'll see you guys soon with the next update~!
> 
> ~ D.C.


End file.
